Re: poly bushings

[Andrew Duane USG/PE <duane@zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made Ken Keith say:

> Chris Ahola wrote:
> >     Does anyone know of a source for polyurethane bushings?
> >     Chris
> >     '87 5KCSTQ (with only 100K miles, but a lot of new parts)
> 
> Chris,
> 
> TAP sells poly bushings for my car (Coupe GT), and 4k's.  I got them.  I
> heard alot of people don't like them.  I've decided that I don't
> either.  I really don't recommend them.  I know it sounds like a good
> idea, etc., but they really make the car ride rough.  I have ABT springs
> and right now, Gabriel struts and 40 series tires.  I rode in a 4k
> (Duane's), and it rides smooth.  I can only attribute this to the
> bushings.  If you drive this car for anything other than track and
> stuff, I think you will not be satisfied with what you get.
> 
> When I got my bushings, I found that they were hard plastic. 
> Polyurethane, yes, but as hard as...harder than the plastic my monitor
> is made of.  At least I can gouge the monitor.  These bushing are very,
> very hard.  Solid.  Nothing like what I expected polyurethane to be.
> 
> I plan on going back to rubber OEM.

Wise advice.

I went through this decision a year or so ago, and ended up putting
all OEM rubber back on my 100Q with 120K miles. You wouldn't believe
how much better the ride was. You have just "gotten used to" the soft
sway of shot bushings.

Urethane are very hard and noisy, not problems for the track, but
bad for a daily driver.

You can search the archives for my complete project reports. Best $1000
I ever spent (new bushings: $400, new shocks $200, installation: $400).


-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corporation		(603)-881-1294
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's too heavy to care.